Chemistry Patents

A highly skilled, technically diverse chemistry patent team

37

People

12

Partners/IP Directors

14

Associates

11

Technical Assistants

5

Offices in Europe

Advances in chemistry are central to cutting-edge technology in a huge range of industries. As well as examples from the pharmaceutical and chemical sectors (discovering, synthesising and formulating the latest blockbuster drug for instance, or developing renewable fuels or recyclable plastics), chemists today are also creating the novel materials building the technology of tomorrow, in fields as diverse as electronics, aerospace, automotive and medical devices.

Our large, highly skilled, and technically diverse chemistry patent team includes attorneys working across the whole spectrum of chemical innovation. Whether the subject matter is dyes or drugs, catalysts or composites, polymers or pesticides, flavourings or fibreglass, we have the winning (chemical) formula: technical excellence, coupled with a wealth of relevant practical experience.

The clients we work for are as varied as the technical areas we cover, ranging from UK and foreign multinationals to universities, spin-outs and start-ups. Across the chemical, materials and pharmaceutical industries, we work closely with our clients to protect and defend their technology and have worked with many of them for well over a decade.

Chemical innovation focus

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Pharma & Biologics

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Advanced Materials

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Polymers

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Performance & Industrial Chemistry

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Consumer Products & Food Technology

Chemistry patent specialists

Our chemistry team is over 30 strong and spans all five of our offices. The team comprises partners and associates, many of whom have been recognised and recommended as outstanding attorneys in their field, as well as our team of motivated and highly-qualified trainees.

All of our chemistry patent experts have strong scientific backgrounds, covering a vast array of chemical subject matter; the majority of the team have doctorate level, or higher academic experience. Some of our team have previously worked in industry and some of our associates have additionally gained hands-on knowledge of intellectual property needs within the sector, by working in-house on secondment to some of our major chemistry clients.

As well as drafting robust, carefully thought-through patent applications and prosecuting them at the EPO and worldwide, our chemistry specialists also have considerable experience in patent opposition and appeal proceedings at the European Patent Office. They have a good track record of defending our clients’ patents against attacks by competitors, as well as attacking third parties’ rights. The firm also recently successfully defended a patent revocation action against a chemical patent before the IPEC and Court of Appeal.

Our patent team is supported by a wealth of expertise within the rest of the firm. Our legal services group have a strong technical background and considerable experience in dealing with regulatory issues and IP exploitation in the chemical, materials and pharmaceutical sectors. Our trade mark attorneys are well placed to assist our chemistry clients in securing protection for their trade marks in the UK, the EU, and internationally. The trade mark team has an excellent reputation for successfully handling complex and multi-jurisdictional disputes through both opposition and other contentious proceedings, often in tandem with negotiating settlement agreements with the help of our dispute resolution team.

Our unique combination of IP expertise makes us ideally placed to help you to protect, defend and exploit your technology through all stages of the research and development process.

JEREMY WEBSTER

Talk to our Chemistry IP experts

Whatever your location or size we have someone who understands your technology and can work with you to achieve your IP goals.  Flexible in the way we work, we listen and adapt to your commercial objectives so that we can be an effective and efficient partner for you. We will deliver a practical solution for whatever opportunity or challenge you face, building bespoke teams designed to meet your specific needs.

Not sure who to talk to?  Please get in touch and I'll be happy to help.

Jeremy Webster, Head of Chemistry

Read our Opposition Blogs

Meet the team: Jeremy Webster, Partner, Head of Chemistry

Meet the team: Jeremy Webster, Partner, Head of Chemistry

by Jeremy Webster

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to partner and head of chemistry, Jeremy Webster, about the importance of strong working relationships, taking a strategic approach to oppositions and ...

UPC Weekly - UPC Munich Central Division sets out a marker on how the UPC should approach inventive step

UPC Weekly - UPC Munich Central Division sets out a marker on how the UPC should approach inventive step

by Thomas Wolter

2024 Week 29 This week saw the first UPC decision on the merits issued in the long-running patent battle between Amgen and Sanofi/Regeneron. The decision is succinct and well-reasoned, featuring a ...

Mewburn Ellis is proud to have worked on 26 of the 100 top-selling pharmaceuticals of 2023

Mewburn Ellis is proud to have worked on 26 of the 100 top-selling pharmaceuticals of 2023

by Adam Gregory

Mewburn Ellis is proud to work with some of the world’s most globally significant pharmaceuticals, including established giants and rising stars.

UPC Weekly - UPC Local Divisions - the reluctant bifurcators

UPC Weekly - UPC Local Divisions - the reluctant bifurcators

by Matthew Naylor

2024 Week 28 This week we look at how the UPC is handling requests to split substantive consideration of patent validity from patent infringement.

UPC Weekly - UPC overturns EPO opposition division decision on the same prior art

UPC Weekly - UPC overturns EPO opposition division decision on the same prior art

by Matthew Naylor

2024 Week 27 In the race to be the first UPC division to produce a written decision on a main action for infringement and validity, last week the UPC Düsseldorf Local Division beat the UPC Paris ...

UPC Weekly - Three month delay fatal for a preliminary injunction application

UPC Weekly - Three month delay fatal for a preliminary injunction application

by Matthew Naylor

2024 Week 26 On 3 June 2024, the UPC Local Division in Hamburg decided to refuse a preliminary injunction in Ballinno vs. UEFA and Kinexon. However, that order was given without any reasons. The ...

Forward Magazines Overlapping 8

Mewburn Ellis

FORWARD MAGAZINE

Mewburn Ellis Forward is a biannual publication that celebrates the best of innovation and exploration. Through its pages we hope to inform and entertain, but also to encourage discussion about the most compelling developments taking place in the scientific and entrepreneurial world. Along the way, we’ll engage with the IP challenges that international organisations face every day.